


One Winter’s Morning

by joeyrz



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Challenge Response, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-27
Updated: 2010-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-17 07:58:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/174618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joeyrz/pseuds/joeyrz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just another morning in Camelot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Winter’s Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Challenge #31 over at merlin_land for Team Merlin. Prompts included: Hat, Flowers, Snow, Ice, Hail, Snowman, A person falling over, One of Camelot’s Knights, A character doesn't understand another character's sarcasm.

Merlin hurried down the corridor to the Prince’s chambers, not because he was in any big hurry to get there, but because he was freezing!

The temperature had been dropping steadily for a couple of weeks, as the leaves had started to fall from the trees and winter approached slowly. That is, until last night. The small fire in Gaius’ chambers was ill equipped to disperse the sudden chill that settled over Camelot, as the heavens opened up, dropping a couple of inches of brilliantly white snow across the castle, the town and the countryside.

He glanced out the frosted windows and could barely make out the townsfolk briskly moving across the courtyard, eager to get inside and out of the cold. The only ones enjoying the weather were the children. A small group of boys were building a small, squat and very round snowman close to the well, one of them fighting off his mother as she tried to put mittens on his hands. On the other side of the courtyard, a young girl slipped on an icy patch, landing square on her bottom, her basket of dried flowers spilling its contents besides her.

Merlin was certain Gaius was going to keep him busy that afternoon, helping him mix ointments for bruises and potions for colds, just as he had done last winter, for all those who fell on the ice patches and all the little kids too excited with the snow to keep themselves properly warm.

He took one last look at the happy, smiling kids playing in the snow, then moved across the corridor to Arthur’s chambers, opening the doors quickly (and none too quietly) and, after dropping off the breakfast tray on the table, went directly to the fireplace, feeding the small fire a couple of logs from the stack on the side, and added some small twigs to help it along more quickly. Soon the fire was roaring, its warmth spreading inside the room and chasing the cold away.

“Good morning, Arthur!” he called out cheerily, knowing how much it irritated the prince when he was ‘infuriatingly cheery’ during bad weather. “The sun is hiding behind some big, fluffy, grey clouds, the temperature is a wonderful – just cold enough to get about 3 inches of snow. All in all, a perfect day!”

Arthur pulled his head from underneath the mountain of blankets covering him to stare incredulously at Merlin. “Are you insane?!”

Merlin smiled and let it go – it was always better to confuse the Prince early in the morning, when Arthur was half asleep and sarcasm just flew over his head. He ignored Arthur, and kept on talking as he picked up the various items scattered around the large chambers, putting clothing away in the dresser or in the laundry basket. Last week he had dragged a trunk from the storage cells at Arthur’s request. It was filled with his cold weather clothing, mostly heavy wool coats and overcoats, some with fur lining (the fancier ones), various wool trousers, a fur cap he’d seen the Prince wear last winter when he decided he just had to go hunting, and a couple of heavy cotton, long nightshirts. The trunk had been well sealed and the clothes had been well preserved, Merlin noticed with a sigh of relief as he pull the items out to hang them in the dresser.

Arthur grunted as he got out of bed, going behind the screen to change clothes. Merlin grabbed some of the clothes he’d just gotten out of the trunk, handing them over the screen and taking the nightshirt away, dropping it in the laundry basket.

There was a knock on the door, and before Merlin reached it, Arthur had called out inquiring who it was.

“Sir Leon, my Lord,” came from the other side of the heavy door.

“Come in,” Arthur said, as Merlin pulled the door open.

“The training grounds are covered in snow, Sire. I’ve gathered the knights in the lower level hall, next to the kitchens. I await your orders, Do you wish to hold a training session inside or if will hand it over to Sir Hector for instructions on politics and ethics, Sire?”

“A class,” Arthur said as he came out from behind the screen, fully dressed. He dropped down into his chair in one of his patented graceful sprawls, and picked up a piece of cheese off the tray. “It’s been a while since Sir Hector had tried to knock some knowledge into their heads. What news of the outlying villages after the snow?”

“No damages have been reported, Sire. The farmers are knowledge in the weather and all the cattle and herds had been secured or taken into the barns for the night. No reports of deaths and only a few minor injuries due to some hail up north.”

“Thank you. Go join the knights, I leave you in Sir Hector’s capable hands,” Arthur dismissed his knight, who left quickly. “I’m going to see my Father. You,” he said pointing at Merlin with the chunk of bread he had picked up, “go make sure my horse is ready in case the King wants to ride out to check the kingdom, come back and finish in here, make sure my armor is clean, polish my swords, change the bed clothes, go do whatever Gaius needs you to do, then come back here and have my bath ready for when I return.”

Merlin glared at the Prince as he left with a grin in his face. Another day, another list of chores…

The End


End file.
